This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)
We encounter a remarkable man with an intriguing story. That becomes quickly evident during the enjoyable conversation I had with DJ/producer Oded Nir. Musical success wasn't handed to the curly-haired Tel Aviv native on a silver platter. However, he has become a defining presence and a familiar face in top restaurants, including those of Michelin-starred chef Sergio Herman. He's also a popular figure in chill-out clubs. Since 2006, Amsterdam has been his permanent base. Attached is an interview with Oded Nir.
As Oded departs from his pleasant apartment in Amsterdam’s Pijp neighborhood, he emphasizes once again that I’ve only heard a few highlights from his life. Not more than ten percent. That doesn’t surprise me. For instance, in 2006, during the Cannes Midem Festival, he managed to sneak into the VIP lounge and succeeded in handing a demo CD to Tiësto’s manager at the VIP opening of Cineac in Amsterdam. He spent hours giving bass guitar lessons in his home country of Israel to scrape together enough money for an entry ticket, a flight ticket, and a luxury hotel in Cannes. Once there, his funds quickly dwindled, and he filled his stomach with the snacks at the daily networking events that took place everywhere. His audacious move didn’t secure him a record deal, but it did lead to a contact that brought him to the Netherlands.
Astrology
Oded grew up in an open-minded, left-leaning family in the heart of Tel Aviv, “locationwise comparable to the Dam in Amsterdam.” His father worked in construction, and his mother is a renowned astrologer. As a result, spirituality played a defining role in the family. His mother is no ordinary person: she was the director of the prestigious Adler Centre for years, an institution dedicated to studying and treating behavioral patterns.
Personal development was encouraged for Oded and his brother, and at the age of eight, he left regular elementary school for one that prioritized arts education. Here, he received extra hours of piano lessons and acting. His older brother Ohad played the guitar, and after the piano, Oded took up the bass guitar. By the way, his brother eventually followed in their mother’s professional footsteps. Oded took a few cautious steps on that path as well and is, among other things, a certified tarot card reader – “only for friends nowadays,” – but his passion for music pulled him stronger.
Compassion
Now that he is forty, he sees clearly that spirituality is more important to him than ever before. His inclination for depth and belief in the cosmos was always present, but nowadays it has found a distinct place, causing more and more puzzle pieces to fall into their positions. Oded describes himself as mindful: “Moreover, I strive to enter the world with compassion; that is also the foundation of my approach to work. I have so much more patience than before. Astrology – indeed, including the positions of the planets – offers significant explanations for the past as well as for the everyday drama. When I feel down, I can give it meaning through astrology; at the same time, it assures me that such periods when I’m not feeling well will also come to an end. Of course, I am always personally responsible for my own choices.”
These days, Oded performs in clubs all over the world – from China to Switzerland – he is a resident DJ at Amsterdam’s 5&33, where he is also in charge of the entire musical programming. His tracks rank high in various charts like Traxsource and iTunes Top Dance Charts, and he runs his own record label. However, this success was by no means handed to him. “I’ve worked extremely hard for this, and I still do.”
Kingdom of DJs
“The Netherlands is the kingdom of DJs,” Oded believes. “If you kick a lamppost in Amsterdam, six DJs will fall out, mostly techno-minded these days,” he illustrates his point. “Yes, there are a tremendous number of DJs, and there is a lot of quality.” He didn’t know this back in 2006 when he took the step towards the Netherlands.
Upon his departure in Tel Aviv, a grand radio interview was announced featuring this compatriot who was going to make it big in our country. Things turned out differently. “I thought everyone in the Netherlands would welcome me with open arms. ‘Oded, we’ve been waiting for you!’. Not so. I arrived at Schiphol on October 5, 2006; a date I still commemorate every year. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that my contact was going through a divorce, had been evicted from the house, and would be staying in the same place in Zeeburg that he had arranged for me. A contract was also not in the picture.”
AH Bonus Card
“There I was, wondering what to do.” With a broad smile: “I immediately got an AH Bonus Card; the ultimate integration, haha.” The situation, in reality, wasn’t as light-hearted. His finances were dwindling, there was no record contract in sight, and he couldn’t keep living in Zeeburg indefinitely.
With his characteristic honesty, he decided to use his last bit of money to call the radio station in his home country and confess the disappointing truth. However, the radio staff on the other end of the line convinced him to stay in the Netherlands for a month or two and then return with great success stories. “There was no Facebook, only Hyves, but well, that wasn’t known in Israel, of course; no one would give a hoot about it.”
Gene Ferris
The planets were in favorable positions at decisive moments in Oded’s life. Time and again, the right people appeared at the right time. From his precarious situation in Zeeburg, he met King Dread James, an artist he still collaborates successfully with. “I needed help.” Through his contact from Cannes, he got to know Chicago house legend Gene Ferris and vocalist Chapell. “They lived here, we occasionally smoked a joint together, and before I knew it, I found myself more and more in the heart of the Amsterdam DJ scene. By the way, no one was playing my genre; I was still at 68/70 bpm at that time. Minimal, hip-hop, and electro ruled in those days; my house vocals weren’t exactly hip.”
Struggle
No matter how uncertain that period was, during which he constantly shuttled between Tel Aviv and Amsterdam, that very uncertainty has taught Oded life lessons that he’s eager to pass on to aspiring artists. “When you’re vulnerable, all the vultures in the world find you. They promise you millions, offer contracts, and make the most enticing offers. And you want to believe them, of course. Gene had warned me about them, and he was right. That’s when the struggle began.”
In that same challenging period on many fronts, he ended up on the guest list for the opening of the renowned Cineac club in 2006, a venue in which Tijs Verwest, aka DJ Tiësto, was a co-owner. Oded saw his opportunity, stuffed his pockets with demo CDs, and was present. “I had been nervous for weeks and endlessly rehearsed in my head what I would say if I stood in front of Tiësto.” Running into the big DJ there seemed impossible on the spot, but Oded wouldn’t be Oded if he would accept the ‘detail’ that Tijs was only three floors away from him.
Reaching the third floor wasn’t the problem. Gaining access to the heavily guarded VIP area was the real challenge. “I had insider information: Tiësto had just played in a club in Israel, which I didn’t know by the way. I also knew his manager’s name was Wim, I believe.” Desperately, Oded tried to make eye contact with manager Wim. When he succeeded, he shouted, ‘Wim, how’s it going, man? Don’t you recognize me anymore? I haven’t seen you since that performance in Israel. How are your wife and kids?’ “That man meets so many people, he can’t possibly remember everyone.” Promptly, Oded was allowed inside, handed over his CD, was quickly unmasked by manager Wim, “and while the manager still exclaimed ‘you’ve got balls,’ I was thrown out. Unfortunately, I never heard anything again.”
Happy Hedonists
He had to leave Zeeburg and could temporarily crash on a friend’s living room floor. While he tried to sleep, his host and hostess were quarreling in the kitchen. “A low point. My Israeli girlfriend didn’t want a long-distance relationship and broke up with me, and there I was on the floor with a separating couple. It was clear to me that something had to change. I was 31! When I’m sixty, I wanted to be able to look at myself in the mirror and say that I had done everything in my power to turn my passion, music, into a successful way of life.” That turned out to be a wake-up call.
Through connections, a sublet apartment became available, to be shared with the chef of the Concertgebouw, who was also a talented painter in his spare time. Creative minds lead to grand ideas, and Oded conceived the idea that they could put on a show together. A combination of cocktails and chocolate, music and art. In 2007, they filled the small hall of the prestigious Concertgebouw with the concept Happy Hedonists, with Oded behind the turntables. He had invited everyone he knew in the house music scene. With a twinkle in his eye as he recalls: “I saw them thinking: ‘How did he end up here?'”
The alignment of the planets, karma, call it what you will, coincidentally, an agent from a booking agency in Utrecht was present at the event, the same agency as vocalist Chapell, with whom he recorded the single “Again & Again” this year, which also reached the Traxsource and iTunes Top Dance Charts. Earlier, the same booking agency had turned him away.
Zeeland
With a professional team behind him, Oded then saw more of the Netherlands than the undersigned has on her record. “They arranged the gigs. I started at The Mansion, Amsterdam. I played the most in Zeeland, that’s actually where I had my breakthrough. In Goes and Breskens – as strange as it may sound, I was welcomed with open arms in those fishing towns. Actually everywhere; from Maastricht to Den Helder and from Tilburg to Ameland.”
Meanwhile, he mainly focused on Chicago house, funky house, and soulful house. “After my arrival in the Netherlands, it became clear to me quickly that I had to be original and stay true to myself. Finally, that bore fruit.”
These days, Oded is a well-established name. He can earn his living through his productions and performances. Rightfully so, because anyone who brings him in gains a fantastic stage act. After all, Oded doesn’t just produce his distinctive vocal/house sound, he also simultaneously plays (bass) guitar and synthesizer.
Life and Death
A final decisive step came when he found himself alone again in 2007. He had invested all his money in demos, was two months behind on rent, and felt hopeless. Once again, luck was on his side. Unexpectedly, he met someone who had contacts with investors, mostly in real estate, but they were open to other ideas. “Before I knew it, I was in an office building with all these waiting people looking for an investor. Most of them were in suits, and I was just being myself. Not exactly the epitome of businesslike.”
With nothing to lose, he entered the office of the investing acquaintance of his acquaintance. ‘What do you have to offer? You have five minutes to convince me,’ he was told, and he realized, ‘Shit, I have five minutes to save my career.’ Oded then did exactly what he had to do: be himself, without embellishments, pure. “For me, it’s a matter of life or death. If you invest your money in me, you’ll definitely lose it,” tumbled out of his mouth. Almost like in an American feel-good movie with a happy ending, the investor roared back that no one was going to tell him who or what he should invest in. He would decide that for himself! “He liked me. They liked me, the company. I was speechless.”
Bluffing isn't all that bad
“I was their first artist. Through them, I established my own record label, Suntree Records. They helped me get started, assisted with my promotion, marketed me as a product, and apparently, it worked.”
Let’s go back to Cannes Midem for a moment to emphasize that Oded practically invented networking. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed everywhere. So, I couldn’t enter the places where people from Sony, Virgin, and Café del Mar were. Sneaking past the guards didn’t always work either. Especially not when they started recognizing me.” Of course, Oded wasn’t easily discouraged. He managed to hide his distinctive mane and small stature behind the available mailboxes of the music bosses. When one of them walked by, he would emerge and hand them a CD. He even encouraged the big boss of Café del Mar with the words, “I should be on your label!”
With his own Suntree Records, founded in 2012, he eventually outperformed the major labels. He has been a welcomed artist at the Amsterdam Dance Event for years. He’s producing prolifically, and his latest single, “Again & Again,” featuring vocalist Chapell, achieved high rankings in the Traxsource and iTunes Top Dance Charts.
No, it wasn’t all handed to him on a silver platter, but Oded Nir demonstrates what perseverance, determination, and self-belief can achieve. Despite all his successes, he remains the open-minded and spiritual man he has always been. In conclusion, Oded would like to leave a message for aspiring producers and DJs: “Bluffing isn’t all that bad, and when opportunities arise, seize them with both hands!”
Photo’s: Juliana Bruel
This interview met Oded Nir is originally on June 21st 2015 published on Fronza.nl.